The top reported proficiency rate is 29% in Science. The lowest is 21% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Mark Twain Elem School
Mark Twain Elementary serves preschool through fifth grade in Wheeling, a mixed-use Chicago suburb northwest of the city that combines manufacturing, residential neighborhoods, and a known dining corridor. The school sits in a district actively reshaping itself—Wheeling CCSD 21 launched a boundary-redesign process in 2026, the first in roughly two decades, because of uneven enrollment: east-side schools like Mark Twain's attendance area have grown denser and crowded, while west-side schools have empty seats. Any changes would not take effect before the 2027-28 school year. The district has also completed significant facility work funded by a recent bond, including air conditioning, secured entrances, and full-day kindergarten space, with another substantial round of summer construction underway.
The school itself has an enrollment that tilts heavily toward Hispanic students, with a smaller share of white and Asian students and very few other groups represented. The student body is quite young—the school runs strong in the early grades, with prekindergarten through fifth, and only a handful of sixth graders, suggesting Mark Twain's role is primarily as a lower-elementary feeder rather than a through-grade campus. Free and reduced lunch data was not available, so a parent may want to ask the school directly about economic need in the community.
State assessment results from 2024-25 show marked weakness across both math and reading. In math, third grade showed low proficiency, with fourth grade somewhat better but still below the midpoint, and fifth grade low again. In reading, third grade proficiency was particularly low—the second-lowest I have seen across this data set. Fourth and fifth grade reading proficiency improved to around the low-to-mid range, but the third grade dip signals a transition into tested grades that requires attention. Fifth grade science proficiency was moderate and low-thirties range. These results, which reflect a freshly revised state assessment cut score, place Mark Twain in the bottom quartile of Cook County schools on an overall proficiency index. The decline from fourth to fifth grade in reading is notable and a parent may want to discuss with the school what supports are in place for students moving through these grades.
Wheeling is in active transit-oriented growth, with Wheeling Town Center as its new downtown anchor, Metra rail service to Chicago, and ongoing residential and mixed-use development. Housing values reflect the broader Cook County market—modestly priced homes in a high-mortgage-rate environment. The area's economy centers on manufacturing (Wheeling has one of the state's largest concentrations), along with the restaurant and hospitality scene, making it a working suburb with everyday texture rather than a wealthy enclave.
Mark Twain is a regular public elementary school with no magnet or charter designation. No information on class size, teacher experience, or school-level discipline was available. A parent considering this school should weigh the low academic results against the school's role in a district managing significant growth and boundary pressure, and should ask directly about the third-grade proficiency drop and what reading and math support looks like in the early grades.
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